HISTORY:
In the late 1940's, Mr. Bee started training in Wado Ryu karate
Do under the tutelage of sensei's Hirano, Nihua and Misutani at the
kanoumichi zen buddhist temple in central japan.
For some reason, Mr. Bee was not able
to compete in the championship bout in a coveted tournament, wherein
He had to be content as the second place winner, becoming the first
non japanese to win in the All Japan Karate do championship. He was
then merely an ikkyu(1st Class Brown Belt).
Mr. Bee served in the U.S. Airforce and was stationed in the
Philippines. It was there in P.I. where He met brother's Demetrio and
Guerrero Watanabe Francisco and two others namely Roger Bernardo and
Carding Valerio. It was then 1955. And on 1958, the Nihon Karate Do
Wado Kai awarded certificates to Demetrio, Guerrero and Carding
becoming the first filipinos to receive the rank of Sho Dan in Wado
Ryu.
Sensei Demetrio continued his training in Wado Ryu and formed
the Wado Style Karate Association and eventually, He received more
promotions from Wado Kai. He is now responsible for the Wado Ryu
activities in the chinese island of Taiwan.
In the Mid of 1960's, Mr. Bee created Ken Zen Ichii and
established branches in the Angeles City and Pampanga area in
Philippines and in Ojai and Ventura county in California.
Mr. Bee appointed sensei Guerrero as succesor to the leadership of
Ken Zen Ichii. To date Ken Zen Ichii has representatives in the
Philippines which includes the Ken Zen Ichii Karate Assn. in
Pampanga and the Ken Zen Ichii Ki Zen Do Kai in Las Pinas City Philippines. In
the United States, Ken Zen Ichii karate Association is headed by
Sensei David Segovia and Sensei Ira Watanabe, Sensei Guerrero's Son
heads The Ken Zen Ichii Wado Style Karate Do in Tochigi, Japan.
Mr. Bee, together with His disciples does not consider Ken Zen
Ichii as a breakaway from Wado Ryu but rather an offspring of this
unique system.

SOURCE: Ira Watanabe when he was still learning the theories and
history from Mr.Bee, Sensei's Guerrero & Demetrio. And from the
facts shared to him by Sensei's Robling Sanchez, Bert Tayag, Gerry
Bailey and H.Escalante.

NOTE: Orlando Centeno received instructions from Mr. Bee, but he was
certified by Sensei Herminigildo "Erning" Escalante. He is
now the owner of Centeno's Gym, a body building gym. Orlando Centeno
was NEVER the founder or creator of KEN ZEN ICHII.
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